Fly-trap.



e. 0. SKELTON. I

FLY TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18,1915.

A TTOH/VEYS IN VE IV TOR 670 fl ifi/ Patented Jan.18,1916.

Tm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, a. 1:1

rnvrrnn siA'rEs arana ornion. f

GROVER G. SKELTON, OF VICTOR, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR 02E ONE-HALF TO WALTER A.

. SGI-IOEN, OF VICTOR,- CO'LGRAZD O.

Fur-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed March is, 1915. 'SriaIIiTo. 15,210.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnovnn C. SKELTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Victor, in the county of Teller and State of Colorado, have invented an Improvement in Fly-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in fly traps.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a fly trap particularly applicable to a screen door or to a Window screen, the trap being of such a nature as to be built in the door or screen, to form a part thereof.

Another object of the invention isto provide a fly trap in connection with a screen door or window screen of such a nature as to entrap the flies as they crawl upwardly on the screening and direct them into a removable receptacle where they may be detained.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a trap in the nature of a receptacle disposed at the top of the door or screen and removable therefrom at will, and into which the flies are adapted to be directed by means of runways provided on either side of the main screen near the upper end thereof, whereby as the flies crawl upwardly on the screening they may finally enter the receptacle and be detained therein.

A still further object is to provide a trap of the class describedwhich will'be extremely simple, durable, eflicient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

lVith these and other objects in View which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which Figure 1 represents a side elevational view of a trap constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a view in longitudinal section taken on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a view in perspective of the receptacle show ing the same in open position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have illustrated as a preferred embodiment of the trap, an arrangement in the nature'of a screen door whose sides are indic'atedat 5 and whose ends are indicated at 6. The side and end bars are secured together in the ordinary manner to provide a rectangular frame, in which is strung the main central screening 7 in the usual manner. This screening extends from the bottom wall 6 nearly to the top wall, and at the upper end of main screen 7 a transverse bar 8 extends, to which the screen is connected in any preferred manner. Between bar 8 and upper end 6 is defined a space for the reception of a receptacle 9 which is detachably disposed'in the door. This receptacleis in the form of a pair of frames 10 covered with screening 11 on one side and at their opposite sides hingedly connected as at 12 whereby the frames may be swung toward or away from each other for respectively closing or opening the receptacle. The frames at each end are recessed as at 13, and within the recesses on one frame is provided a pair of hooks 14: and on the other frame a pair of headed pins 15, whereby the frames may be detachably secured together. The receptacle is of a length, height, and width substantiallyequal to the analogous dimensions of the space defined by the side bars 5, upper end bar 6 and cross bar 8 within which the receptacle is adapted to be disposed. At spaced intervals the frames 10 on one side, namely the lower side, are equally recessed on their inner edges as at 16. When the frames are together the recesses 16 form spaced openings through which entrance of flies to the receptacle may be had. These openings occur immediately above and in alinement with spaced pairs of openings 17 provided in cross bar 8. The members of each pair of openings 17 occur on opposite sides of the main or central screening 7, and as stated above communicate with one of the openings 16. Below cross bar 8 is provided means for guiding the flies into the openings 17 as they crawl upwardly upon the central screen. This means includes the end strips 18, the intermediate strips 19 and the central strips 20. These strips occur in pairs, the members of the pairs being disposed on opposite sides of the central screen 7.

The pairs of strips 18 extend from the side bars 5 of the door at an inclination and are connected with the cross bar 8 near the end openings 17 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The intermediate pairs of strips 19' are disposed vertically and extend from points ad'- j acent the 'endopenings 17 downwardly'and terminate in a line with the lower endsfof strips 18. The central pairs of strips 20 are connected attheir lower ends with strips 19, and converge toward each other and terminate on opposite sides adjacent to the central pair of openings 17. In this manner three runways are provided on each side of the centralbscreen and lead separately to the openings 17 provided in bar 8. These strips are on their outer edges bridged by the sections 21 of screening, this screening being maintained in place in the ordinary manner, by the molding strips 22. The sections 21 of screening are thus disposed in spaced relation to and one on either side of the cen moved at will, I have provided one of the frames with handles 24, which may be readily grasped for withdrawing the receptacle from the door, when it is desired to kill the flies contained in the receptacle.

It will, of course, be understood that the same structure may be applied to a window screen and will operate in the same manner as described. By providing means on both sides of the door whereby the flies may be entrapped, the flies trying to enter the house, as well as those trying to get out of the house will be entrapped.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1' may desire to make such changes in the construction, COmb1I1at10il"aI1d arrangement of parts thereof as do not depart from the spirit of theinvention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A fly trap comprising a frame having a central screen disposed thereon, a cross piece disposed in spaced relation to one end of the frame, the central screen terminating at one end at said cross piece, a receptacle removably disposed above the cross piece and provided with a plurality of entrance openings registering with a plurality of openings in the cross piece, and screen covered runways provided on opposite sides of the central screen and leading to the openings in the cross piece.

2. A fly trap'comprising a frame having a' central screen disposed thereon," a cross piece disposed in spaced relation to one end of the frame, said central screen terminating at one end at said cross piece,a receptacle removably disposed above the cross piece and provided with' a plurality of entrance openings registering with a plurality of openings in the cross piece, and screen covered runways extending downwardly from the cross piece and terminating at their lower ends above the lower endof the screen covered runways extending downwardly from the cross piece and terminating at their lower ends above the lower end of the central screen, said runways having 80 wide lower ends occupying substantially the width of the central screen, and having restricted' upper ends leading to the openings in the cross piece.

I GROVER C. SKELTON.

v Witnesses:

HARRY C. 'LATTIGUE,

C. E. MAJOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner'of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

